Hoehn’s Musings

Here’s a list of my favorite marketing books.  They’re currently ranked in the order that I think you should read them, if you were so inclined.  The books in the top half are required reading, and the ones in the bottom half are just icing on the cake.

(Also, this list isn’t static, so I will be putting up more when I come across other solid titles.)

Influence by Robert Cialdini – You could base every marketing plan you create solely on the principles of this book and still be devastatingly effective.  If you understand the implications behind Cialdini’s research and can successfully apply them to your online marketing strategy… well, just prepare yourself for the frenzy you’re about to produce.

The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries & Jack Trout – This is my favorite marketing book for determining overall strategy in the beginning stages.  If I’m helping with a big product launch or trying to decide what a company’s best course of action is over the long run, I re-read sections of this book.  It’s simplistic, yes, but still very good.  Buy this and take good notes — you’ll refer to it numerous times.

The Long Tail by Chris Anderson - If I had to recommend just one book from this list, Long Tail would be it.  I’d read the theory of Long Tail on wikipedia a few times, and thought I didn’t need to read the book.  I was very wrong.  To read Anderson’s book is to have a much better grasp on: the web’s economics, how the Internet really has changed business for the better, and how you need to tweak your old “brick and mortar” way of thinking.  Although this isn’t technically a marketing book, you have to read it if you want a holistic understanding of how to approach online marketing.

All Marketers are Liars by Seth Godin – This is not my favorite book of Seth’s, but it lays down the ethics of marketing very well (which are absolutely essential).  The most important thing a company can do is to be authentic.  Embrace your story and you will win.

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell – Great examples of how social epidemics start, and a lot of it falls under the word-of-mouth section of marketing.  Mavens for online WOM are basically anyone with a sizable audience that listens.  Approach them with respect.

Word of Mouth Marketing by Andy Sernovitz – The author really understands the dynamics of online W.O.M., and his advice is simple, practical, and effective.  I still think every company’s marketing strategy should strongly emphasize organic word-of-mouth.  This book will show you how to get started.

Purple Cow by Seth Godin – This book should be required reading for every marketer, entrepreneur, CEO, etc.  It’s an approach to doing business, and it’s an approach to life.  Make your ideas worth talking about.

Made to Stick by Dan & Chip Heath – Excellent book.  Learn how to make your marketing ideas memorable and stick with your target market.  You need your messages to be Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional, and have a powerful Story.

Positioning by Al Ries & Jack Trout – A bit old but still extremely important.  Supplement The 22 Immutable Laws with this.  You’ll realize how essential it is to be the first established brand in any market, as well as the influence of names (for products, companies, and even people).  Read it free here.

Permission Marketing by Seth Godin – In the grand scheme of things, I think this is one of the most impressive marketing books ever written.  Seth is a visionary, and was touting these ideas years before anyone else.  Permission is the superior way of marketing, and the big winners will be the ones who leverage it and de-emphasize Interruption marketing.

Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely – The number of easy-to-implement and highly-valuable ideas I derived from the first three chapters alone warrants a strong recommendation for this book.  Ariely discusses the effectiveness of relative pricing, The Decoy Effect, and the power of giving things away for free.

Pow! Right Between The Eyes! by Andy Nulman – Particularly good because of the amount of ideas and examples that are in the book.  Steal the ideas, tweak them, and apply them to your company.  Also, I love the attitude Andy has when it comes to marketing: sometimes you have to do things just because.

Meatball Sundae by Seth Godin – Read this if you’re thinking your business must get in on this “web 2.0 thing.”  It’ll prevent you from making some basic mistakes in your approach.

Grapevine by Dave Balter – The authors break down all the lessons they’ve learned since founding BzzAgent, a company focused on word-of-mouth marketing.  You’ll learn why buzz and viral aren’t good marketing strategies, and you’ll also find some ways to augment the WOM about your company.

The Pirate’s Dilemma by Matt Mason – This book is great, and I think just as important as Long Tail in providing a better understanding of how business models will continue to change.  Mason gives tons of relevant anecdotes about today’s open-source world, as well as many examples of guerrilla marketing.  You can download the book for free here.

The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss – If you read blogs, you’ve heard of the 4HWW.  Tim emphasizes ruthlessly testing your marketing, measuring results, and testing some more.  But what’s most important is that he suggests you find your market before you develop the product.  This book shows you how to be a good marketer, and an effective entrepreneur.

Sway by Ori & Rom Brafman – A good follow-up for Tipping Point.  Very similar thematically, except I found Sway to be a more fun read.  Great social psychology books are gems for marketers, and the Brafmans are dynamic writers.

The Art of Seduction by Robert Greene – In short, how to treat your customers; everyone wants to be seduced.  Reel them in with what you have to offer by focusing on the gaps.  Find what they’re missing in their lives and present the solution to them in a way they can’t resist.  It’s not conniving or unethical if you’re coming from a good place, which you always should be.

Effective Email Marketing by Herschell Lewis – This is a decent book to follow Permission Marketing.  You can apply Lewis’ tactics with Seth’s strategy.  Don’t read this unless you’re trying to get into email marketing.  It’s a good introductory book on the topic, but that’s about it.